Workshop

Saturday, May 16, 2020 (9:00 am-2:30 pm; includes lunch, doors open at 8:45 am)
Leader: Brs. Jonathan Maury , Jim Woodrum and Sean Glenn

This workshop is tailored for both lay and ordained leaders of small parishes who wish to nurture Christian Community using the classic monastic themes of Hospitality, Prayer and Worship.  In this workshop, Brothers will present on these themes and offer suggestions/resources for how to enliven and strengthen Community within a small parish atmosphere. 

Saturday, March 28, 2020 (9:00 am-12:15 pm, doors open at 8:45 am)
Leader: Br. David Vryhof, SSJE

According to Trappist monk and author Michael Casey, in Western Monasticism patience is seen as the “principal battleground” where we work out our salvation.  It is “the practical expression of faith and hope and an important indication of the genuineness of the interior life.”  Gregory the Great calls it “the root and guardian of all the virtues.” Impatience, on the other hand, is also taken seriously; it is, in the words of Bernard of Clairvaux, “nothing less than the soul’s perdition” (i.e. the soul’s utter destruction).  In this workshop, we’ll try to understand why monastics valued the virtue of patience so highly and how they encouraged us to attain it.

Saturday, January 18, 2020 (9:00 am-12:15 pm, doors open at 8:45 am)
Leader: Br. Keith Nelson, SSJE

The Heart is a poignant symbol in Christian scripture and tradition, an inner sanctum where we can abide with Christ in the midst of busy lives and the whirlwind of our own thoughts. In this workshop we will explore ancient and medieval texts and the work of contemporary spiritual writers on the Heart: the center of our being and the birthplace of our transfiguration in Christ. Contemplative, body-centered exercises will offer tools for grounding and applying these insights in daily life.